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OLIVIA PERKINS’ PASSION REVEALED
(Article published in L’Automobile magazine, April 2023)
By Raynald Bouchard
Olivia Perkins was raised on farmland, and her husband is an enthusiastic drag racer: these experiences sparked her keen interest in “anything with four legs or four wheels”, as she puts it.
Her boundless passion for automobiles led her to apply for a position at Garand Pneus et Mécanique in 2019. Her owner, Luc Garand, recognized in her a high potential that her résumé didn’t show. Three years later, Olivia holds the key position of technical advisor for this Victoriaville flagship workshop.
Time and again, she has had to respond to entrenched stereotypes by transforming them into challenges. Although some customers still regard her as a receptionist, they are quickly amazed by the depth of her technical knowledge. “I believe that women 100% belong in our industry. They need to develop confidence in their abilities and possess a great deal of interpersonal skills and curiosity.”
As for her linguistic strengths, Olivia comments: “Coming from an English-speaking family on my father’s side, I’m the only person in the garage that’s perfectly bilingual. This skill is sometimes required in specific situations, such as serving as the key link between engineers and our technicians to bridge the language barrier. I’m also the one who greets and serves all our English-speaking customers.”
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